HSN Hops on Product Placement Bandwagon

It may be hard to imagine selling product placements for TV programming that is, essentially, product placement itself — 24/7 — but HSN is doing it now.  During a recent segment selling Jamie Oliver’s Survival Kit Cookware, the show host and guest discussed preparing a meal using Barilla pasta products, which were prominently featured in the camera shots.  When honest-to-goodness commercial breaks at last arrive, hosts may want to segue into them with the phrase, “We now take a break from this commercial sponsor to bring you a few words from other commercial sponsors.”  Tivo, be damned!  The Wall Street Journal Sept. 28, 2009 Paid subscription may be required.